Del Rio lifts Stage 2 drought restrictions, keeps monitoring spring flow

Del Rio lifted its Stage 2 drought restrictions effective July 10, 2026, returning the city to normal water operations and easing the rules that had shaped household watering and other outdoor use. City staff will keep monitoring spring flow.

The rules affect lawns, landscaping, parks, contractors and commercial properties that depend on predictable outdoor water use. Del Rio’s water system has been under pressure because San Felipe Springs is the city’s sole source of drinking water, and city leaders have treated spring flow as the key signal for whether conservation measures need to tighten again.

Del Rio has spent the past several years building and revising its drought response around that risk. City Council members adopted updated water conservation and drought contingency plans because state rules require a contingency plan for drought or similar emergencies. The city had already implemented a drought contingency plan on Aug. 1, 2023. In a separate work session, council members and staff discussed Stage 2 restrictions and the need to inform residents about the rules. Assistant Public Works Director Greg Velazquez briefed council during a special workshop on how the ongoing South Texas drought was hurting San Felipe Springs.

The city’s latest move followed a recommendation from the Public Works Department and a review of current operational conditions. Recent monitoring showed conditions had improved enough to end Stage II Water Conservation Measures and resume normal water operations.